A 25-year-old man was fined $5,000 after he admitted to two counts of cannabis possession in an increased penalty zone.Magistrates’ Court heard Jahroy Simons, of East Avenue, Southampton, was driving a car on October 3 last year when uniformed police officers were conducting stop and searches in anticipation of violence.Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney said officers pulled him over near Queen Street in Hamilton and could smell the scent of burnt cannabis on his clothes.They searched both the defendant and his car and found a plastic twist, containing 0.8 grams of cannabis, in his left pants pocket.On October 16 last year, Simons was subject to another stop and search whereby officers saw him suspiciously move a red Marlboro cigarette package from his pocket.A pat-down search of his clothes came up negative for illegal substances, but an examination of his car showed there were two small plastic twists, containing 1.7 grams of cannabis, in the cigarette package.Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered Simons to pay $2,500 for each offence, both of which took place in increased penalty zones.Simons was also ordered to pay $1,000 after being convicted of impaired driving on February 22.Mr Warner warned Simons that if the fines were not paid by yesterday afternoon he would serve three months’ imprisonment in default.Simons will be sentenced for escaping lawful custody and face trial for possession of a pointed article measuring three inches, on July 20.For this matter he was released on $5,000 bail with one surety.